There's a new SimCity game coming to Android! That's good! But it's being published by Electronic Arts, one of the worst citizens of the mobile gaming nation. That's bad. The game will feature full 3D environments, like the latest versions of SimCity for the desktop! That's good! But it will inevitably be free to play, and stuffed to the gills with in-app purchases for everything. That's bad. There's no word on whether or not the game will contain potassium benzoate.

SimCity BuildIt has been announced for Android and iOS on EA's website. Actual information about the game is pretty slim, aside from the fact that it will be using the 3D interface from the latest full-sized editions. That means you'll be able to pinch and zoom around your miniature metropolis like a cartoonish version of Google Earth. There is no release date information at the moment.

We've covered EA's generally awful mobile strategy before, so I'll just sum it up briefly: they post "free" games where gameplay is severely limited by time, "energy," or in-app currency, then they hit you with the upsell. Considering that EA has shown no notable remorse for the widely-criticized gameplay modifications made to the mobile version of Dungeon Keeper, I wouldn't expect anything different for SimCity. It doesn't help that the Android version of SimCity Deluxe has been un-published from the Play Store without notice, or that SimCity 2013 on the PC has been blasted for having less play area and forcing always-online play at launch.

So, yeah, maybe SimCity fans should temper their enthusiasm for the new Android game.

Comments

SimCity Deluxe, I remember the great experience... :(
I bought it from the Android Market on my HTC Desire, one day before I got my Galaxy Nexus. Got the Galaxy Nexus; not compatible. A year or so later, still not compatible. Never gained compatibility, until it was unpublished.
No, I'm never buying an EA game again.

mobilemann

this is my experience on the note 3 with it as well. funnily enough, the iOS 4 or 5 version of sim city for iOS still works on my ipad retina mini. 7.1.2.

Pooka-kun

I don't care. I'll just get it when its launched, I don't know of a good SimCity clone on Amazon Appstore that isn't Kindle exclusive.

Simon Belmont

Ha. This post reminded me of a scene in a very old Simpsons episode (pretty sure that's what the author was getting at).

I dunno, it's been on TV for about 25 years, so I figure everyone has seen at least one episode by now. But I don't expect everyone to like it (it's definitely had its ups and downs over the years).

blindexecutioner

Do the people who bought sim city deluxe get the full, no in app purchase version of this game for free then?

I am sure this game will be just as bad as dungeon keeper.

Simon Belmont

To be fair, The Sims FreePlay is fairly decent. It doesn't nag you too much to buy stuff, and you can keep playing without long delays.

Hopefully this will be similarly decent. I guess we'll see.

adasdsadasdsa

EA, here's 1 star review from me already for the game, you can get additional stars for only $30 each of bargain $100 for 4

smeddy

No, no, no, no, no...
I've been burned too many times by ED, with lock downs, IAPS, online required to play... Sim City is one of my favourite games ever, but I expect another frustration-f*ck

Steve Freeman

I've played enough IAP supported games (without spending any money on them), so I'm pretty used to it. I just have several games I'm playing, so I play one for a few minutes, put it down and do something else. Then play another one for a few minutes, put it down and do something else. I never have enough time to just sit and play games on my phone all day, except for when I'm home, but then I have a gaming PC. And better games. So I don't care.

primalxconvoy

Except that many other people don't want to do that. They want to play a game in detail.

However, I salute your own, individualistic way of not supporting "pay-to-win".

Steve Freeman

Yeah, I understand that completely. For mobile games at least, I tend to play them more as a time waster, as opposed to PC games where I actually tend to fully play and enjoy the game.

Robert_AU

After buying a heap of EA games over the years, on multiple platforms, I've finally reached the point where EA is blacklisted and I will never buy another EA game.

Their Android games are generally complete garbage and full of IAP nonsense. Their PC games (BF3 and BF4 are the ones I've bought) have connectivity problems, are full of stupid bugs, full of players using aimbots/hacks and are infected by their useless origin client.

Luckily there are plenty of other options for games to kill some time, without the frustration that goes along with anything from EA.

Marcell Lévai

I had the same experience as you, and agree with you on everything except Origin. I'm fine with Origin, as I'm fine with Steam and Uplay and all those. The thing that put me really off was that BF3 required Origin and a fucking browser plugin to be able to play (which does who the hell knows what while you browse the web, etc.)

EA is a piece of garbage with it's pay-constantly-to-play model, with the shady browser plugin, with the restrictions on Sim City, etc.

To be honest I almost bought Titanfall though. But then I remembered all the frustration I had in the past because of EA.

Matthew Fry

Hey! At least it won't cost $6 and crash after the return window and never get updated and then eventually get pulled. (SimCity Deluxe)

sdb

Fuck EA.

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

RIP SimCity, never forget SimCity 2000 on PSONE

primalxconvoy

What's the best version of sim city that can be played on an android compatible emulator?

Problem solved?

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

Best versions of SimCity are on PC, and those games can't be played on Android.